D&D in Africa

Malawi 2: Lake of Stars and Sea of Green
September 25, 2008

Right now I’m sitting on the patio in front of an old colonial mansion that once was the home of the owner of the Satemwa Tea Estate. Today the mansion is for rent and offers super relaxing stays in the middle of rolling hills on the flank of Thyolo mountain that are painted in a lush deep green colour by the thousands and thousands of tea bushes. We drove down here from Cape Mclear yesterday where we have spent the last 4 days chilling at the beach, snorkelling and diving in Lake Malawi. We met a bunch of Medicine Students from the Netherlands and England and it was great to meet some fellow travelers. I liked the place in Cape Mclear a lot because the lodges are scattered all along the ca. 5km long beach and are fully integrated into the local village of Chembe. So you could sit on the terrace, sipping a cold beer while watching local fishermen tending to their nets, women washing clothes and children fooling around in the clear waters of the lake. One time we were relaxing at the beach and suddenly we hear singing and chanting from nearby. I went over to see what was happening and found a large group of women of all ages singing and dancing to the rhythm of the drums. Upon asking I learned that they were welcoming some people from a nearby island who bring wood for the festival to the honour of a local chief that was to take place the next day. I could make out the boat of the woodgatherers in the distance, slowly ploughing forward. It was terribly overladen with stacks of wood and people and had hardly any freeboard. Just before they reached the safe shore the inevitable happened and the boat sank! The passagers jumped overboard to swim the last few meters, towing the flooded boat behind. The little drama did not worry anyone and instead of the boat to come to the singers, the singers just moved along the beach a little to go welcome the arrivals.
Of course the lake itself is also a great attraction and the National Park protecting the area is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The lake is one of the largest in Africa and in its waters 508 species of fish in all colors and shapes have evolved, many of them endemic to the location. We discovered the underwater life on a kayaking and snorkelling trip around one of the nearby islands. We also splurged a little on a casual dive to explore the deeper areas and found the famous Mouth Breeder Fish that keeps the small fishes in his mouth for protection. At night we would hang out with the Meds and enjoy the tropical climate with a few drinks at the Gecko Lounge. The four days were super relaxing and a great change from our usual fast moving routine. I’m looking forward to the beaches in Mozambique where I want to do some more diving.

Fishermen on Lake Malawi